


Other Lives (Reylo Microfics March 2020)

by midwinterspring



Series: midwinterspring's smol stories [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Body Calligraphy, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Humor, No Pregnancy, Safe to Read if You're Triggered by Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23423218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midwinterspring/pseuds/midwinterspring
Summary: In her dreams, she sees other lives.(Mostly)microfics written as part of @rlogarbagech1's Reylo Microfic Challenge on Twitter, March 2020.5/17/20: Edited the formatting to be closer to the original tweets.8/3/20: Check out this lovely moodboard by svalewayland!
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: midwinterspring's smol stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904788
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16
Collections: Reylomicrofics_S1





	Other Lives (Reylo Microfics March 2020)

  


**Day 24: Pyramid**

"It'll be fun!" says Rey.

Ben looks at the table full of maps and figurines, and the multicolored dice: dodecahedrons and cubes and three-sided pyramids.

When she said she was interested in roleplaying, this wasn't quite what he'd had in mind. 

** Day 25: Abstract **

"Structural Coloring of the Blue Morpho Butterfly: A Biomimetic Perspective" First author Ben Solo. Rey reads the abstract in Materials Science. Intriguing research and his author photo...There's a few reasons she's interested in collaborating. 

** Day 26: Stitch **

"And then Artoo says to BB-8, 'Fix your own damn motivator!'" Rey bursts out laughing, remembering.

Ben laughs too, so hard he gets a stitch in his side. It's a new feeling for him, but one that's becoming a lot more familiar.

** Day 27: Steam **

Ben shows Rey a sketch of a new steampunk cosplay idea. "I wanted to go with something villainous this time." The design is all black with brass accents.

"I love it," she says. "But I'd lose the helmet. I like looking at your face too much."

** Day 28: Starburst (Music by Jessie Montgomery) **

"Let's do something different. Free chamber music in the park?" asks Ben.

"Sure," says Rey. They bring a blanket and wine and cheese and have a picnic as the sun sets, listening to the concert.

The stars come out like the music calls them.

** Day 29: Tropic **

Snow was thick on the ground outside, and the trees were covered in ice. They weren't going anywhere today.

Rey peeked through the curtains and pulled her silk robe tighter around herself. “Reminds me of my favorite poem.”

“Hmm?” asked Ben, looking up from the desk where he was doing brush calligraphy.

“'Little Gidding, by T.S. Eliot.”

“I'm not familiar. Want to read it to me?”

“Sure,” she said. She pulled down the book and sat down in a chair near Ben. She could feel the fireplace's warmth.

She began, “Midwinter spring is its own season/Sempiternal though sodden towards sundown,/Suspended in time, between pole and tropic...” She read the whole poem, her voice articulating its themes of memory and recognition and return.

Ben listened and watched her the whole time, the fire bringing out the amber in his eyes.

When she stopped, he smiled widely. “Beautiful...all of it.” He gestured towards the book as well as her, sitting in the chair in her robe. “May I see that?”

She handed him the book, open to the poem. He read over parts of it, then picked up his brush and dipped it in ink. He took her right hand gently in his left, and held the brush poised over it. “May I write on you?”

“Yes. That sounds nice,” she said.

He wrote carefully, with tiny brushstrokes, “Suspended in time,” on her right hand, and “between pole and tropic” on the other. When he was done, he held both her hands and blew on them until the ink dried.

“Do you want to write more?” she asked, savoring the whole experience.

“Of course.”

She lay down on the rug in front of the fireplace, opening her robe.

“What's your favorite part of the poem?”

“The very end,” she said.

He wrote it in sure strokes down her belly, ending just below her navel. She felt warm and shivery at the same time as the ink dried on her skin.

“And all shall be well and/All manner of thing shall be well/When the tongues of flames are in-folded/Into the crowned knot of fire/And the fire and the rose are one.”

**Day 30: Alive**

Every day, when she wakes up next to him, she puts her head on his chest and listens to his heartbeat. Alive, he's alive, it sings to her.

Maybe someday she won't need the reassurance. But she knows she'll never take this for granted. 

** Day 31: Forever **

On their first anniversary he says, "Feels like we've known each other forever."

In her dreams, she sees other lives. Blades of light crossing in the snow. A dark throne. Two cats on a windowsill. Two robots on Mars.

"Maybe we have," she says. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, my pseud is a reference to "Little Gidding"!
> 
> Say hi on Twitter: @midwintersprin1


End file.
